1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document processing apparatus having a box function capable of storing information such as image data in a sorted manner, a document processing system in which a plurality of document processing apparatuses having box functions and a server apparatus such as a print server are connected each other via a network to exchange various information, and a recording medium in which document processing program for making a computer execute document processing is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
A recently available image forming apparatus, as one of document processing apparatuses, has a function of once storing electronic data in a storing device such as a hard disk and then printing out the data at the timing specified by a user as well as a function of immediately printing out received print data or facsimile data.
Furthermore, in another image forming apparatus, the electronic data can be stored in divided storing regions called “box(s)” every user or every group.
As technique directed to such a box, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H11-196206 discloses a facsimile apparatus having a function of sorting received facsimile information and distributing the received information to one of destination exclusive boxes which are divided every destination recognized from the information.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H11-239238 discloses another facsimile apparatus. In this apparatus, when the apparatus receives a confidential document, it stores the confidential document in a personal box of the confidential destination user and registers the storing destination of this confidential document in a Web server of itself. Thereafter, the apparatus notifies to the confidential destination user by email that it received the confidential document. When the confidential destination user who received the email accesses the facsimile apparatus from a personal computer and inputs the ID and the passwords, the linked destination to the confidential document is notified so that the user can see the confidential document.
Furthermore, as such a box technique, there further exists an image forming apparatus equipped with the so-called “private box” which is protected so as to allow an access of a specified user or group using a password. Moreover, there also exists an image forming apparatus equipped with two types of boxes, i.e., a private box and the so-called “public box” with no access limitation in view of the usability.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-58678 discloses a document circulation system for circulating a document to previously specified plural destination terminals.
In the meantime, there is a possibility that a document is moved into a private box of the aforementioned image forming apparatus from a person other than the box owner.
However, even if the document was moved into the private box from a person other than the box owner, the owner of the private box could not recognize it until the owner confirms the stored contents of the private box. As a result, the processing of the document may be delayed, or a large number of moved documents may be accumulated in the private box without realizing them.
In the aforementioned document circulation system disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-58678, it is not a system utilizing private boxes of a document processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus, but a system for passing on a document to destination terminals which are usually owned every user. Therefore, in the system, the user can quickly recognize that a document was moved in his/her terminal. However, in a system utilizing private boxes, the private boxes are allotted to a plurality of users sharing a single document processing apparatus, which tends to cause delayed document processing and/or accumulation of unprocessed documents as mentioned above.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.